9-1-1 Call: Sign Of Times For Josephine County

That's the way many residents in Josephine County feel when they call 9-1-1 and there's no one able to respond. Now they are out of money and down to just a few deputies for the whole county after tax levy's have failed.

The 9-1-1 call says it all.

"911 emergency?" asks the dispatcher.

"My ex-boyfriend is trying to break into my house. I’m not letting him in but he’s like, tried to break down the door and he’s tried to break into one of the windows," said the caller who cried out for help.

A rural Josephine County woman fearing for her life calls 9-1-1 as her ex-boyfriend Michael Bellah tries to break into her home in the middle of the night last summer.

The woman explains that bellah has a violent past.

"He put me in the hospital a few weeks ago and i have been trying to keep him away," says the caller.

But the Josephine County Sheriff's office isn't able to respond because of thier limited hours and staff. So she's transferred to the Oregon State Police, but again no help. Other than words from the dispatcher.

"Uh, I don’t have anybody to send out there. Uou know, obviously, if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away?" asks the dispatcher.

And that's exactly what he did again. He was arrested later that day by state police and now sits in the state prison in Pendleton.

The unidentified victim's story is similar to a lot of others and lawmakers have had enough.

The Oregon House of Representatives is currently reviewing house-bill 3453 which in a nutshell would give the governor the authority to declare a financial emergency for each county and levy new taxes to pay for public safety.

Something that at least half of Josephine County voters and commissioner Simon Hare do not agree with.

"I'm never for authority being usurped by the state. I think we are best in a position to reflect the will of the people here and I always advocate for local control," said Hare.?

It's unclear how much of mandated tax would be.

What do you think? Sound off on our Facebook page and on Twitter, or leave a comment below.

About the Author

Kyle Aevermann reports weekdays and anchors NBC 5 News Weekends. He joined NBC 5 News in March 2012 as a morning producer and reporter. Prior to joining KOBI, Kyle interned at KISL-FM on Catalina Island, CA. He was also a regular contributor to CNN's citizen journalism program.

Originally from the Chicago-land area, Kyle moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2009 to work in the social media industry. Kyle enjoys hiking, traveling, learning about cultures, and has a serious love for food.

Catch Kyle anchoring weekends on NBC 5 News at 6pm and 11pm.

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